


You Look Happier, You Do

by NikAdair



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Adashi Wedding, College AU, Proposals, Slight Allurance (for plot stuff), klance break up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-04
Updated: 2018-09-04
Packaged: 2019-07-06 23:01:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15895893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NikAdair/pseuds/NikAdair
Summary: A fic originally based on Happier by Ed Sheeran---Things seemed to be okay between them. When they woke up the next morning, they’d talked about what had happened the night before. About what Lance had done, about how Keith had felt. Lance explained that the silver haired girl, Allura, had pulled him over to the bathrooms, saying that she didn’t think his kissing was as good as his singing. Being as drunk as he was, Lance had thought only about proving her wrong. Keith believed him, knowing that Lance could get super competitive, even more so when he was drunk.That didn’t stop Keith from wondering who Lance had been texting all day. He wasn’t the kind of boyfriend to get jealous, nor was he the kind to snoop around Lance’s phone. But something was telling him that it wasn’t right. He shook off that thought, not wanting to believe it was anything more than just him texting. It wasn’t until a few weeks later that Keith knew he’d made the wrong decision in trusting what Lance had said, in not asking him about the texting. It wasn’t until then that Keith knew his heart was lost.





	You Look Happier, You Do

Keith looked up from his textbook, stretching his arms above his head as he looked out at the people walking to class. His breath caught in his throat as his gaze settled on a familiar mop of brown hair and tan skin. He watched as the boy laughed, wrapping an arm around the shoulders of a silver haired girl, pulling her close to his side. Watched as he leaned close to her, whispering something in her ear that made her giggle, playfully hitting his arm. Watched as he laughed, feigning hurt before kissing her cheek.

He felt his heart clench, felt his eyes sting, and he ripped his gaze away from them. He could feel his hands shaking a little, and he tightened his grip on his pen. Keith turned his music up louder, almost painfully, and turned to look back down at his textbook. But the pages were blurry, and he could see wet spots on the pages. He wiped furiously at his eyes as he closed his book, throwing everything into his bag, and walked quickly back to his dorm.

He could feel eyes on him, but he didn’t care. Keith continued to wipe at his eyes, swiping tears from his cheeks, soaking through his gloves. He could feel his chest tightening with each step, and as he passed the two, he could see a pair of blue eyes glance up at him, could see a slight drop in the smile that was on the face. But it was only for a second before the silver haired girl was saying something to him, that smile returning to his face as he turned to face her.

Keith felt the torrent of tears falling as he got to his dorm, throwing his bag on the floor, a sob ripping through his body. He sank to his knees, fists clutching the fabric of his hoodie as soundless cries tore at his throat, tears soaking his jeans where they fell. He hadn’t expected to see him again. Hadn’t expected to react this way at seeing him. But that pain in his heart was back, and it was far worse this time.

\---

Keith stayed hidden in his dorm that week, only leaving to go to class. He took the long ways to his classes, staying away from any path that would cross with his. He barely ate, stayed curled up in bed. By the third day of this, Shiro had started dragging Keith out of his dorm to eat, staying with him to make sure he ate. Keith had refused to first time, tried to close the door in Shiro’s face. But Shiro wasn’t having it, and had ended up picking Keith up, throwing him over his shoulder, and carrying him to the dining hall. Keith was furious, but too tired to put up any fight.

Shiro came by Keith’s dorm late that Friday, saying that he should come with him to a bar. That it would do him good to leave his dorm. Keith was hesitant, not wanting to go anywhere in fear of seeing him. But the look Shiro was giving him, the slight pleading in his eyes, made it hard for Keith to refuse. He reluctantly agreed, grabbing his wallet, before walking with Shiro to a nearby bar.

It being Friday, the place was filled with college students, loud laughter floating above the cacophony of voices. Keith followed Shiro to a few empty spots at the bar. The warm air stuck to his skin, a million scents assaulting his nose until he grew numb to them. They sat down, Shiro ordering drinks for them both. Keith wasn’t really paying attention to what he ordered. He sat with his shoulders slumped, eyes trained on his phone.

He heard the clink of glass on the counter, and only looked up when Shiro took his phone. Keith grabbed for it, but Shiro was faster, tucking his phone into his pocket. He glared at the older boy, but Shiro shook his head, frowning a little. He reached over and pushed a glass over to Keith, picking up his own. Keith eyed it wearily before taking a sip of the drink. It burned a little as it went down, but it wasn’t unpleasant.

They sat there, Keith listening to Shiro talk about his classes, about his job, about his relationship with Adam. They’d downed a few drinks, and Keith could feel it going to his head. Could feel the lightheadedness setting in, could feel himself starting to relax. Shiro pulled Keith to his feet, pulling him towards the dart board, and Keith let him, knowing that even if he were tipsy, he could kick Shiro’s butt.

Shiro went first, and the drinks made his throws poor at best, one of the darts missing the board completely. Keith heard himself laughing, and saw Shiro trying to hide his smile behind a scowl, but failing miserably. He walked up to the dart board and collected the darts, passing them to Keith, making a comment about how Keith couldn’t do any better. Keith laughed, shaking his head, before lining up the dart for his first throw.

His arm jolted as he heard someone nearby laugh. A laugh that sounded like wind chimes, genuine and crystal sounding. He whipped his head to the right, and saw a flash of silver hair before seeing a familiar blue plaid shirt. He saw a wide smile on his face, eyes crinkling as he laughed. Saw her tip her head forward, as though embarrassed, but smiling all the same. He saw how happy they looked, and the buzz he was feeling seemed to fade, leaving him feeling hollow.

Keith gave the darts back to Shiro, muttering something about having a project he needed to work on, and rushed out of the bar. He heard Shiro calling his name, but didn’t hear him following after. He ran back to his dorm, chest heaving as he leaned against the closed door, sliding to the floor. The alcohol in his system made his emotions feel like a bulldozer as they hit him. He closed his eyes, memories rushing in.

\---

“Lance! Lance, come on! We have to go!” Keith shouted impatiently, arms crossed over his chest. He paced in front of the door, waiting for the boy. Pulling out his phone, he checked the time. “Lance, come on! We have to be there in fifteen minutes!”

“I’m coming, I’m coming! Sheesh, impatient much?” Lance was pulling on his shoe as he walked over to him. Keith scowled a little, but it was a half-hearted scowl. Lance stood in front of him, wearing black skinny jeans, black converse, and a blue plaid shirt over a black tank top. A matching outfit to Keith’s, only his plaid was red.

He leaned up, giving Lance a quick kiss on the cheek before grabbing his keys. Keith held the door open for Lance, receiving a comment about how he was a gentleman, before following Lance. They had a double dance date with Shiro and Adam, and Shiro would kill him if they were late. They were celebrating their one year anniversary, and Shiro was planning on proposing to Adam. He needed Keith and Lance there so Lance could keep Adam distracted while Shiro and Keith made sure everything was perfect.

They got to the dance hall with two minutes to spare, and Keith could see the two swing dancing as they walked in. He felt his hand being tugged as Lance pulled him towards the two. Keith knew the look on Lance’s face, and before he could say anything, Lance had launched himself at Shiro, jumping on his back as he stumbled. Adam started laughing as Shiro righted himself, grabbing Lance’s arms. Lance yelped as Shiro started spinning them, Lance barely able to cling to him.

Keith stopped next to Adam, a smile on his face as he watched Shiro and Lance. When he stopped spinning, Lance slumped over Shiro’s shoulders, laughing. Shiro set him down, and Lance swayed as he made his way over to Keith. He wrapped an arm around Lance’s waist to keep him from falling, and felt Lance lean his head on his shoulder.

“So, Lance, think you’ll be doing that again?” Shiro asked, trying for a stern tone, but coming across more as amused. Lance made a thoughtful noise before nodding.

“Yeah, I think I will. It’s pretty fun. You should try it Keith.” Keith and Shiro both looked at each other before bursting into laughter. Keith had tears in the corners of his eyes as he stopped laughing, and he turned to see a confused look on Lance’s face.

“Sorry Lance, but I’ve had my fair share of that happening to me. You wouldn’t believe how often Shiro would spin me right after eating just to see if I’d throw up,” Keith said, wiping his eyes. Shiro nodded, a look of triumph on his face. He felt Lance nod slowly against his shoulder before he felt arms snake around his waist. He had a second to protest before Lance picked him up, spinning him around. Keith laughed, wrapping his arms around Lance’s shoulders in an attempt to keep himself from falling. Except Lance tripped over his own foot, and they would’ve fallen over if it weren’t for Adam catching them.

“Jeez Lance, be more careful? We don’t need any injuries tonight,” Adam said, righting them as Lance put Keith back down. Shiro was doubled over laughing, and Adam had a good natured smile on his face. Keith leaned into Lance’s chest, and he heard the rumble of his laughter. He smiled, closing his eyes, content in just standing there.

After a few more minutes of talking and laughing, Adam pulled Shiro back to the dance floor, and Keith watched them dance. They really were perfect for each other. He felt Lance take his hand, leading him there as well, and they ended up a few feet away from them. They weren’t as graceful as Adam and Shiro were, but they were having fun, and that’s all that matters.

The song changed, and Shiro spun Adam towards them. Lance caught his hand, moving them away to the beat, and Keith danced his way over to Shiro. When Lance and Adam were out of sight, Keith and Shiro made their way to the DJ. They had a special song that Shiro wanted played for when he proposed, and they had to make sure the DJ knew. Thankfully, the DJ for the night was Matt, so it didn’t take too much convincing to get that song played next.

They had a good vantage point of the room, and saw Lance and Adam laughing and dancing with each other. As the chorus of  _Classic_  by MKTO played, Lance made wild gestures to the lyrics, and they could see Adam laughing, losing the beat as he tried to continue dancing. At one point, Lance got up close to Adam, throwing his arms around his shoulders and swaying like a small child. Adam threw his head back, pushing Lance away. Lance was laughing too, his eyes closed and a hand on his stomach. Keith felt his heart swell at seeing him like that, a smile of his own forming.

As the song came to an end, they made their way back to them. Shiro offered a hand to Adam, pulling him towards the center of the room. Lance and Keith stayed towards the edge, making sure they could still see them. A quiet guitar chord played and the song jumped into the lyrics. Keith saw Adam’s eyes widen a little as he recognized the song –  _Hearts Don’t Break Around Here_  by Ed Sheeran. Shiro just gave him a soft smile as they danced.

Lance stepped behind Keith, wrapping his arms around his waist. Keith leaned back into his chest, swaying with him to the music. His hands rested on Lance’s, and he felt Lance tighten his grip a little. Keith hummed happily, tilting his head up to kiss Lance’s cheek, and saw him smile down at him. Lance rested his head on top of Keith’s, and they watched Adam and Shiro dance, twirling each other, stepping close, faces barely touching, before pulling back again.

As the song ended, Shiro pulled Adam close to him, resting his forehead against Adam’s. Keith saw Adam smiling, could see it spreading with whatever Shiro was whispering to him. The last chord faded out, and Shiro stepped back, his hand going to his pocket. Keith moved, pulling Lance with him as they stepped closer to the two. They stood a few feet away, watching the scene.

The song started up again as Shiro spoke. “Adam, we’ve been together for a whole year now, and you have made me so incredibly happy. Every day we’ve spent together has seemed like a dream, and I’ve wished every night to never wake up from it. Having you here with me, spending my time with you, there’s nothing else I could think of doing.” Shiro leaned down, resting on one knee, and Adam’s eyes widened. “Adam, love of my life, the sun to my moon, will you do me the honour of marrying me?”

Keith held his breath, feeling Lance do the same, as Shiro opened the ring box. They could see tears forming in Adam’s eyes, saw him nod. Shiro’s hands shook slightly as he placed the ring on Adam’s hand, and he pulled him into a kiss. Lance shouted loudly, happily, and Keith smiled at them. The other people in the room cheered, some wiping tears, others smiling widely. Matt shouted the loudest, and he saw Shiro and Adam laughing.

Lance and Matt gushed over Adam and Shiro, and Keith watched them fondly. He was happy for his brother, happy he’d found the love of his life. He watched Lance talk, watched the smile on his face, and Keith felt something in his chest. A warm feeling that spread throughout his body, making him smile more. A need to be with him, forever. Keith knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Lance, to see him smile like that every day.

A few days after the dancing date with Shiro and Adam, Keith and Lance had gone to a nearby bar, destressing from classes. He wasn’t sure how many drinks they’d had, but Keith could tell he was definitely on the drunker side. He could tell Lance was too, as his words slurred while he sang karaoke. It made him laugh, seeing Lance up there, swaying as he danced and sang off-key. The other people there didn’t seem to mind that it was bad singing, some even joining him, singing just as badly. Keith just laughed as he watched.

Sometime around the fifth and seventh song, a silver haired girl jumped on stage with Lance, joining him in singing. Keith watched them, watched as she got up close to him, watched as Lance stared at her, that smile never leaving his face. It made Keith’s stomach coil, made his heart clench. A sour taste overtook his mouth, and he bit his lip.

The song ended, and they were moved off the stage. Keith’s eyes scanned the front of the crowd, but he couldn’t see Lance. He got up unsteadily as he stumbled towards the stage. Panic started to fill his chest as he moved. He couldn’t see Lance, nor could he see the silver haired girl. As he made it to the stage, he saw a flash of silver off to the right, turning the corner towards the bathrooms. He followed it, his only thought being  _Please_.

He rounded the corner and stopped dead in his tracks. The silver haired girl was pinned against the wall, her hands wrapped up in Lance’s black shirt. Lance had his hands in her hair, body pressed close against hers. Keith felt his heart wrench as they kissed, and he turned away, sprinting as best as he could out of the bar. He felt tears falling down his face, felt sobs ripping out of his throat. He didn’t stop running until he’d made it back to his dorm.

He pulled his phone out and called Shiro, ignoring the fact that it was two in the morning. Shiro sleepily answered, and it took Keith a few tries to speak. “Shiro, Lance- we were at a bar- some silver haired girl- they left and- Shiro, Lance kissed her. Shiro, he kissed her!” Keith sobbed, a torrent of tears falling. Shiro was silent for a moment, letting Keith cry, before he spoke.

“Keith, where are you right now?” He heard movement, and another voice speaking, Shiro talking quietly back. “I’ll come get you, and we’ll go get something to eat, okay?” Keith sniffled, and said a quiet okay, telling Shiro he was at his dorm. He hung up, a fresh wave of tears falling down his face. He was sure it was the alcohol making him like this, but his heart hurt so much, he couldn’t stop crying.

A few minutes later, Shiro was knocking on his door. Keith wiped at his face as he opened the door. He saw Shiro frown a little, and he was pulled into a tight hug. A muffled sob came out of Keith’s mouth, and he felt his tears soaking into Shiro’s hoodie. Shiro hugged him tighter, letting Keith cry. After a few minutes, Keith took a shaky breath, leaning back a little to rub at his eyes.

“Come on, let’s get you something to eat. I know a great place that serves pancakes this early in the morning.” Keith nodded, letting Shiro lead him to his car. It was a quiet drive, a question hanging in the air that neither of them wanted to acknowledge. Shiro parker the car, and they sat there for a minute, neither moving, neither speaking. Keith sniffed, opening the door, but stopped moving when he felt Shiro put a hand on his arm.

“I know you don’t want to talk about what happened tonight, and I’m not going to make you, but you should talk to Lance about it. You need to work this out with him.” Shiro’s voice was soft, comforting, but it didn’t do much to lessen the heartache Keith felt. He kept his eyes on the pavement outside the car, feeling the sting of tears again. He felt Shiro’s hand drop, heard him get out of the car, and he followed.

They walked into the diner, and Keith’s head started to pound from the lights. He threw his hood up, laying his head on the table. The cool surface felt amazing against his skin, and he let out a soft sigh. He heard a waitress come by, heard Shiro ordering for them, and he closed his eyes. The pounding in his head lessened, and the sting of tears wasn’t as prevalent. He heard glasses being set on the table, and felt Shiro poke his shoulder.

“Keith, come on, you need to drink some water. It’ll help with the headache I know you have.” Keith raised his head sleepily, his eyes moving to the glass in front of him. He picked it up with shaky hands, and downed half of it. His hands shook so badly as he set it down that Shiro had to take it from him before it spilled. Keith just sighed, crossing his arms and laying his head on the table again.

They ate in silence when they’re food arrived. Keith could tell Shiro wanted to say more about the night, but he didn’t want to talk. He wanted to go back and sleep, pretend it was all just a bad dream. Wanted to sleep and wake up with Lance next to him. That thought made his heart hurt, and he bit his lip hard to keep tears from falling again. Keith must’ve looked as sad as he felt, because Shiro put a hand on his arm, giving him a sad smile. Keith just looked away, not wanting to see that look.

Shiro went to the counter to pay, and Keith stumbled to the car. He slumped into his seat, pulling his hood further over his head, blocking out as much of the light as he could. He heard something vibrating against the door, and reached next to the seat to find his phone. He didn’t know it’d fallen out of his pocket. The screen lit up, the picture of him and Lance making his heart hurt, as a text came in. Keith had missed multiple texts from Lance, but he couldn’t bring himself to open them. Seeing his name brought tears to his eyes again.

Keith turned his phone off, shoving it into his pocket as Shiro got in the car. He curled into himself as they drove, his eyes growing heavy. He was half asleep when they got back to his dorm, and Keith used Shiro as support, leaning against him as they made their way to his room. They rounded the corner and saw Lance sitting against the door, his head leaned back and his eyes closed. Keith stiffened, and he felt Shiro stop them. It was quiet, Keith too scared to move, Shiro looking at Lance, and Lance sitting there silently, as though asleep.

Keith took a breath, shuffling forward. He got to Lance and nudged him with his shoe. Lance jumped, whipping his head up to look at Keith. Something akin to relief flooded his face, and he stood, a small smile on his face. Keith turned his face away from his, opening the door to his room and walking in. He could feel the indecisiveness coming from Lance, and knew he wasn’t sure if he should follow. Keith didn’t care. He threw off his hoodie and curled up on his bed, pulling the blanket tightly around himself.

He heard quiet talking coming from the hall, could hear the rumble of Shiro’s voice in contrast to the small, delicate tone of Lance’s. Keith was too tired to try to figure out what they were saying. He heard the door closing, and a set of shoes being kicked off. He felt the bed dip as Lance laid next to him, pulling him to his chest. Keith fought back tears, and let himself be pulled towards him. He could hear Lance’s racing heartbeat, and felt him wrap his arms around his waist tightly.

“I’m sorry. I’m so so sorry. Please forgive me,” Lance mumbled, keeping Keith held tightly against him. He didn’t say anything, too drained to think, to feel, to respond, and just nodded, closing his eyes. He could feel tears starting to fall down his face, could feel the release of a held breath from Lance. Keith let himself have this moment. Let himself be held, be loved. He let himself believe everything would be okay, that it was a drunken mistake. Keith loved Lance, he knew this. He loved him, and he forgave him. He fell asleep with this thought in his mind, that everything would be okay.

Things seemed to be okay between them. When they woke up the next morning, they’d talked about what had happened the night before. About what Lance had done, about how Keith had felt. Lance explained that the silver haired girl, Allura, had pulled him over to the bathrooms, saying that she didn’t think his kissing was as good as his singing. Being as drunk as he was, Lance had thought only about proving her wrong. Keith believed him, knowing that Lance could get super competitive, even more so when he was drunk.

That didn’t stop Keith from wondering who Lance had been texting all day. He wasn’t the kind of boyfriend to get jealous, nor was he the kind to snoop around Lance’s phone. But something was telling him that it wasn’t right. He shook off that thought, not wanting to believe it was anything more than just him texting. It wasn’t until a few weeks later that Keith knew he’d made the wrong decision in trusting what Lance had said, in not asking him about the texting. It wasn’t until then that Keith knew his heart was lost.

Keith had been texting Lance all day, but was starting to get worried after not hearing from him. He knew finals were coming up in a week, so he’d assumed that Lance had turned his phone off to study. But he saw Lance posting on Facebook and such, and he started to worry that he had done something. As day grew into evening, Keith’s worry overtook his mind, and he made the trek to Lance’s dorm.

He lived ten minutes away from Keith, further from anywhere than him, so Lance would often stay at Keith’s after nights out and before big exams. Not that Keith complained. He liked having Lance there when he fell asleep, there when he woke up. They reserved being at Lance’s dorm for when they had free weekends and wanted to stay in. It was bigger, had more space, and a much prettier view than Keith’s.

He stood outside the building, hands fidgeting as he stood there. He sent Lance another text, telling him he was outside and heading up. After a minute of no response, he sighed, walking inside. It was quiet – he saw students sitting in the lobby, faces buried in textbooks and hands flying over keyboards as they took notes. He saw a few stretching their hands before busily writing in notebooks. Colours popped off the page from important notes that had been highlighted.

Keith got in the elevator – Lance lived on the seventh floor – and paced nervously. He sent him another text, telling him he was almost there. There was still no response as the elevator stopped, no response as he made the walk down the hall. Keith could feel his heart in his ears, could feel his breathing pick up, his chest constricting. He took a few deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself down.

He looked up at the door, decorated with an ocean theme, ‘Lance’ written across the top in big blue bubble letters. There were pictures of him with his family, of him with his friends, and even a few of him and Keith, quick selfies he’d managed to take. Keith smiled a little, looking at one of them. He raised his hand to knock, but froze, hearing laughter, a girl’s laugh, coming from the other side. He heard muffled talking and more laughter. Keith stood there, listening as the laughter died, as the room grew silent.

He didn’t think as he moved, his hand finding the doorknob. Lance always kept the room unlocked. With shaky hands, Keith opened the door, pushing it slowly. As he stepped into the room, his heart dropped, shattered, and his breath caught in his throat. Lance had the girl (who Keith would realize later was Allura) pinned against the wall, his hands roaming under her shirt. She was running her hands over his shirtless chest. Both were locked in a kiss, they’re bodies moving closer, the kiss growing hungrier.

Keith stood there in horror before turning away, running down the hall. He heard the door slam behind him, heard someone opening it and looking out, heard someone calling his name, but he didn’t stop. Keith could only think about how long this had been going on. How long he’d let himself assume things were okay. How long Lance had been cheating on him. That last thought is what broke him, what made the tears come.

He got back to his dorm, locking the door behind him, and curled into himself on his bed. No tears fell, he’d cried them all coming back. He was left with a hollow feeling in his chest, a numbness that spread throughout his body. Keith felt his phone going off, text after text coming, but he ignored them, turning it off and dropping it on the floor. He knew they were from Lance, but couldn’t face the reality of everything. He closed his eyes, letting his exhaustion take over, letting his mind go blank as the pain in his chest wracked his body.

He woke up a few hours later to someone banging on his door, pleading for him to open it. Keith rubbed at his eyes, the darkness of the room making it hard to see. There was very little light coming in through the window, and the clock on his desk read 12:18 am. He knew the only person that would be here this late, that would willingly be this loud, was Lance. His heart hurt thinking about him. But he couldn’t let him keep banging and shouting, the other people on his floor would kill him.

He walked to the door, hands shaking and heart racing. He opened it, Lance mid knock, and looked up at him. Lance’s face looked pale, his eyes red rimmed. There were tear tracks stained on his cheeks, and his lips looked abused, as though he’d been chewing on them. Relief rose in his eyes as he saw Keith, and he stepped forward as though to pull him into a hug. Keith took a step back, keeping distance between them. He watched as pain filled Lance’s eyes.

“Keith, thank god you’re alright. I’ve been texting you for the past few hours and you hadn’t replied. I even called you a few times, but still nothing. I was so worried. God, but you’re okay.” Lance rambled, making another attempt to hug him. Keith took another step back, unable to focus on his words. He felt his eyes start to sting, but also felt the hurt in his chest giving way to anger. Anger at Lance for cheating on him. Anger at Lance for acting as though he hadn’t done anything. Anger at Lance for caring about him. But most of all, he felt anger at the fact that he wanted to let Lance hug him, to believe that Lance had made another mistake, and that they’d be okay.

“Keith, come on, why do you keep moving away from me?” Lance asked, his hurt seeping into his voice. That’s what tipped Keith over the edge. Not the rambling, not the attempts at a hug. It was the fact that Lance had the audacity to sound hurt, after everything he’d done. Keith wasn’t thinking when he moved, when he shoved Lance out the door. He wasn’t thinking when he started shouting. His mind had gone blank, his emotions taking over.

“Why do I keep moving away? I don’t know Lance, why did you have your hands up a girl’s shirt earlier? Why did you have your shirt off? Why were  _you kissing her?_ ” Keith’s voice rose as he shouted, and he saw some people poking their heads out into the hall. He didn’t care. He could feel tears on his cheeks, could hear his voice breaking as he yelled, could see Lance wincing and shrinking away from him.

“What happened to everything being a mistake? Was that who you were texting that day? How long Lance?  _How long?_ ” Keith’s body was starting to shake, his nails digging into the palms of his hands. His vision blurred and focused as tears fell, the collar of his shirt getting soaked. He watched as Lance turned his face away from him, guilt clearly written on it. Keith could hear his heartbeat in his ears as he turned, storming back to his room. “Forget it, I don’t want to know. I can’t go through this, not again. Goodbye Lance.”

Keith heard Lance sputtering, but he ignored it, slamming the door behind him. The anger drained from his body, leaving him feeling numb again. His chest felt like someone had taken a sledge hammer and smashed it on him. His heart was beyond broken, feeling as through it had been put through a blender. His tears continued to fall, but he didn’t make an attempt to wipe them away. He leaned against the wall, leaning his head back, the cold of the brick seeping into his skin.

After a minute, he walked to his phone, turning it on. He ignored the texts Lance had sent, ignored the missed calls he had. He didn’t bother reading them, didn’t want to read his excuses. The guilty look on his face was enough for Keith to know that Lance had cheated on him. He sent him one final text –  _Have fun with your girlfriend. Have a good life._  – before muting Lance. He texted Shiro, letting him know that he and Lance had broken up, and got a worried text back –  _Are you okay? Do you need me to come get you?_  – that he responded to –  _I’ll be okay, just need time. I’ll explain what happened tomorrow at breakfast._

Keith was tired. It was late and he was tired. He was numb, his thoughts silent. He’d stopped crying, and his anger had dissipated. The hurt in his chest was still there, but it was dull. His head hurt, and he was just tired. He curled up on his bed, pulling the blanket tightly around himself as he closed his eyes. It took him a while to fall asleep, the events of the night replaying in his head, but he did finally fall asleep, finally found peace from the hurt.

\---

Keith was spurred from his thoughts by the sound of knocking. It was hesitant, as though the person were scared. It confused him, because Shiro wouldn’t be hesitant in knocking. He would’ve just barged in. He stood, shaking his head to clear the fuzziness he felt as he turned towards the door. He opened the door, the hall light blinding him. It took a minute for his eyes to adjust to them.

He froze once he could see who was in front of him. It was Lance, a scared and tentative smile on his face. Keith’s heart started racing, fear seeping into his body. His thoughts were racing, and the fuzziness in his head made it impossible to focus on one thought. The only thing he could focus on was  _That’s Lance._

Lance looked at him, nervous energy radiating off of him. Keith saw his eyes roaming over his face. He saw the way he bit the corner of his bottom lip. Saw the way his eyebrows drew together ever so slightly. He saw the way his head was tilted slightly to the side, just enough to tell that he favoured his right side. He saw the scar above Lance’s right eyebrow from the time he fell into the fountain (Keith remembered he heard about the scar for a week).

Lance cleared his throat, the sound just as nervous as he seemed. “I, uh, Shiro pulled me aside at the bar. Said you left in a hurry and left your phone. He wanted me to give it back to you,” he said softly, reaching into his pocket. Keith hadn’t even remembered that Shiro had his phone. Lance offered it to him, looking to the side. Keith took it, aware of the way his fingers brushed against Lance’s.

He mumbled a thank you, slipping it into his back pocket. It was silent for a moment, neither boy looking at each other. Lance shuffled his feet, taking a step away from the door. “I guess I should be going…” His voice trailed off, his body turning. Keith wasn’t really thinking at that moment. Something about seeing Lance had made his mind shut down, made his body move on its own.

He reached forward, catching Lance’s arm. He felt Lance jump, turning to face him. Keith kept his gaze to the side. His voice was steady when he spoke despite how he felt. “You can stay if you want. It’s late and you live too far away.” The silence that followed was unnerving, and Keith glanced up at Lance. He could see a soft smile tugging at his lips, the nervousness fading slightly.

Keith turned and walked back into his dorm, hearing Lance follow him. He moved to plug in the fairy lights he had around his desk, giving the room some light that they could still sleep to. He kicked off his shoes, stripping down to his boxers and a t-shirt. He might’ve felt self-conscious had it not been for the alcohol in his system and the fact that Lance had seen him dressed like this before. He sat on his bed, turning to look at Lance. He was still standing by the door, looking just as nervous as he had when he showed up.

“You can have the bed, I can sleep on the floor,” Keith said, pulling a pillow off the bed. Lance stirred from where he stood, walking over to the bed. He took the pillow Keith had, putting it back on the bed. Keith looked up at him, watching him. Lance moved to stand in front of him, trapping him between his body and the bed. Keith couldn’t read the look on his face, and jumped slightly when Lance placed a hand on his cheek.

“You don’t have to sleep on the floor,” Lance said in a soft voice. Keith’s heartbeat picked up, his eyes glued to Lance’s. “You take the bed, I’ll take the floor.” His hand lingered on Keith’s cheek for a second longer before slowly falling, a small smile forming. He reached over Keith’s shoulder, pulling a thin blanket off the bed. Keith could smell the scent of his cologne, the slight scent of sweat mingling with it. It made Keith’s head spin.

Lance pulled back, careful not to let the blanket hit Keith, and turned, taking a few steps back. Keith watched as Lance kicked off his shoes, watched as he stripped himself of his shirt. Keith couldn’t help but let his eyes roam over the toned muscles of his back, how they disappeared beneath the waistband of his jeans. He heard Lance chuckle a little, and looked up to see Lance’s eyes shining, that small smile still there. Keith shook his head, looking away, his cheeks heating up.

He heard Lance sigh as he laid down, stretching out on the floor. Keith curled up on his bed, keeping his back to Lance. Something in his chest squeezed, the memory of the last time Lance had spent the night coming to mind. He bit the inside of his cheek, fists clenching around his blanket. He heard Lance moving, heard him sigh again. His scent seemed to take up the entire room, flooding Keith’s nose. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw those ocean ones looking back at him. He could still feel Lance’s hand on his cheek.

“Thanks again for letting me stay the night. Good night Keith.” Lance’s voice seemed to trail off, something somber about his tone catching Keith by surprise. His curiosity won, and he rolled over. Lance was looking at him, something akin to sadness on his face. It made his heart hurt, and he could feel tears pricking in his eyes. It was quiet, neither boy looking away. Keith could see tears forming in Lance’s eyes, but couldn’t tear his gaze away. He took a deep breath before speaking.

“You can come up here, if you want,” he mumbled, his voice soft, hesitant. He saw Lance’s eyes widen a little, a tear slipping down his cheek, before he nodded. Keith’s eyes didn’t leave Lance as he climbed onto the bed, settling into the space between him and the wall. Keith rolled over, finding his face inches from Lance’s. Their breaths mingled as they looked at each other, neither one sure if they should break the silence.

Lance broke it first, smiling fondly. “Hey there.” Keith couldn’t help the giggle that came out, feeling a smile of his own tugging at his lips. He rolled his eyes a little, throwing the blanket over Lance. It seemed that Lance had gotten closer to him, and Keith kept his eyes on Lance’s. He saw him flick his gaze quickly down to his lips, and Keith felt himself leaning forward. He closed his eyes, breathing quickening, as his lips connected with Lance’s.

It was a quick kiss, maybe a few seconds, but Keith felt like he was whole. He felt Lance wrap his arms around his waist, pulling him close. Keith let himself be pulled, his fists tucked between his and Lance’s chests. He broke the kiss, resting his forehead against Lance’s. Lance smiled at him, kissing his nose as he held him. Keith closed his eyes again, resting his cheek on Lance’s chest, listening to his racing heart as it settled in time with his own. He felt himself falling asleep, the warmth of Lance wrapping around him.

He awoke the next morning to the sound of soft snoring. There was a weight around his waist, and he felt breathing on his neck. It was a familiar feeling, and he knew if he opened his eyes, he’d see Lance behind him, holding him. Keith didn’t want to break the moment, and he let himself savor it. He sighed happily, leaning back against Lance. He felt movement against him, the arms tightening.

Lance’s phone started ringing a few minutes later, and Keith cursed the fact that he’d had his ringer on. He felt Lance stir, groaning into his shoulder, causing him to chuckle a little. Whoever was calling seemed insistent on talking to him, because as soon as it quit ringing, it started again. Lance sighed in frustration, sitting up and leaning over Keith to grab his phone.

Keith opened his eyes, watching as Lance moved. He smiled to himself at the bedhead Lance had. He flopped back down next to him, rubbing at his eyes as he opened his phone. He froze at whatever he saw on his screen, and Keith leaned over, looking at it. There were texts and missed calls from Allura, asking where he was and why he never came home last night. Keith looked away quickly, sitting up and moving as far away from Lance as he could.

He felt the blanket shift and the bed dip as Lance moved. He saw him hesitating, his hand seeming like it wanted to take his, but hovering away from him. Keith shook his head, standing. He muttered something about needing a shower, grabbing his stuff before speeding out of the room. He knew it had been too good to be true. Knew that last night had been a mistake. But he’d let himself have it, because he’d wanted it.

When Keith got back, Lance was gone. Part of him had hoped that Lance would’ve stayed, but knew it was better this way. He sighed, throwing his towel over his desk chair. He saw a note and picked it up.  _I need to take care of something, but I’ll be back. I promise. - L_  Keith stared at it, reading it over and over. He couldn’t think of what Lance would need to do, why he would be back. Or rather, he didn’t let himself think about those things. He didn’t want to get his hopes up.

He pulled his phone from his discarded pants, seeing a few texts from Shiro. He sent him a quick text –  _I’m okay, don’t worry_  – before plugging it in. He flopped onto his bed, pulling his laptop onto his chest. Keith hadn’t been lying the night before when he said he had a project he needed to do. He opened Spotify, putting on his music before starting on research.

He worked for a few hours, finally stopping when his stomach started to growl. He hadn’t eaten the night before, and it was already close to 1pm, so he knew he had to eat. He saved his work, closing his laptop, and stretched as he stood. He threw on some sweats and t-shirt before slipping on some slippers. Keith opened the door to his dorm, and ran into someone. He looked up and saw Lance blinking down at him.

Lance gave him a small smile, lowering his hand. “Hey, I’m glad I caught you. I don’t know if you’ve eaten yet, but would you want to get lunch with me? My treat.” Keith stared up at him, still in shock at seeing Lance there. He’d caught the slight catch in his words, and saw his eyes were slightly red rimmed. His mind worked slowly, torn between processing what Lance had said and working to figure out why he would have cried.

Lance’s smile fell slightly, and it shook Keith out of his thoughts. “Uh, yeah, sure. Let me change real quick.” Keith stepped back into the room, changing into some black jeans and a long sleeve shirt. He walked back out, catching Lance swiping at his cheek before he smiled at him. The smile didn’t reach his eyes, and Keith was a little concerned. But he knew Lance, and didn’t bring it up, giving him a small smile back.

They walked to his car, and Keith could tell Lance was deep in thought, seemingly on the verge of speaking. The way he played with his hands, the way he bit the corner of his lip. Keith had been around Lance long enough to know what these meant. But like before, he didn’t push it, letting Lance decide when he wanted to say whatever it was he wanted. His curiosity may be eating at him, but he refused to push Lance.

Keith stared out the window as Lance drove, watching buildings and trees pass by. He’d been on this route so many times, he could tell you what each building was. He was surprised that Lance chose to take them to Keith’s favourite restaurant for lunch, but it made him smile a little to know that Lance remembered. He parked the car, but neither boy moved. Minutes ticked by as they sat in silence, both itching to say something.

Keith opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off when Lance started to talk. “I broke up with Allura this morning. She really didn’t take it well. Saying stuff about how I was unfaithful and that I don’t deserve to be loved. About how she was the only one who loved me. I was going to be back sooner, but that stuff kind of hit hard.” He took a shaky breath, turning to face Keith. There were tears in his eyes, and Keith felt his heart hurting for him.

“I don’t regret what happened last night. It was nice to be able to wake up with you in my arms again. I didn’t know I’d needed it until it happened.” He wiped at his eyes, a few tears escaping. “I know I hurt you. I know I did a horrible thing. And there’s no way I can make up for what I did. I’m so sorry Keith. If I could go back to that night and change it, I would in a heartbeat. I’m just so sorry Keith.” His voice cracked as he spoke, and more tears fell. Keith wanted more than anything to reach out and wipe them away, to make him smile. But he was frozen where he was, unable to do anything but watch as Lance cried.

“I miss you. So much that it hurts. I know you probably hate me. But god, Keith, I would do anything if you gave me another chance. I love you, so much. I’m so sorry for everything I did.” Lance’s voice died, a sob bubbling up. He bit his lip, not letting it escape. He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself down. Keith watched him, feeling his chest tighten.

He reached forward, taking Lance’s face in his hands. Lance looked up at him, leaning slightly against his hands as Keith wiped away the tears. “I miss you too Lance. Every single day. I love you too. So please, stop crying,” he whispered, looking into Lance’s eyes. Lance looked back at him, his breath stuttering a little. Keith leaned forward, placing a soft kiss to his lips, resting his forehead against his.

He saw Lance smile a little, felt his hands cover his own. “Does this mean you’ll give me another chance?” Lance’s voice was tinged with hope. Keith nodded, smiling more. A wide grin spread across Lance’s face as he pulled him into a hug. Keith wrapped his arms around his shoulders as Lance wrapped his arms around his waist. He felt Lance sigh, his head on his shoulder, and he turned his head to kiss the side of Lance’s.

Lance laughed a little, pulling back to look at Keith. “Come on, I promised you lunch. I hope this place is okay. I hear they have great food.” Keith laughed, pushing at Lance as he got out of the car. Lance followed after him, taking his hand as they walked inside. Keith felt himself smiling, and he leaned into Lance. He’d missed having him there. Missed the way his hand felt in his. He was happy to have Lance back with him. Happy to have the boy he loved. He was happy to finally, finally, have him back.

\---

Keith stood off to the side of the room, a glass of champagne in his hand, as people mingled about, music playing. A sea of black suits and multicoloured dresses sweeping across the floor. Voices drifted in the air, tangling with each other, making it impossible to discern any words. The music played loudly through speakers, drowning out the pitches of voices, but reverberating off the walls, the only thing being heard the bass as it beat in his chest.

He took a drink from his glass, bubbles sliding down his throat. He coughed a little, a tingling sensation spreading throughout his chest. He eyed the glass with disdain, not for the taste but for the tingling. He couldn’t figure out why people enjoyed feeling it, it was worse than soda. Keith took another drink, this time suppressing the cough building in his throat.

He hadn’t seen Lance in a while, but the last time he had, he was dancing with Adam and Shiro. Shiro had been trying to get away, but Lance wasn’t having it, grabbing his hand and pulling him with him. Adam had his back turned to them until Lance came barreling towards him, taking his hand in his empty one. He’d spun them around, ending with Adam and Shiro next to each other, looking curiously at Lance. Lance still had their hands, and he’d started turning them in a circle, getting faster and faster as the music picked up.

Adam and Shiro had started laughing, lacing their fingers together as they spun with him, spinning them faster. Lance threw his head back, laughing loudly. He’d watched people around them moving out of their way, some chuckling at them, most smiling as they watched. Keith had felt a wide smile spreading across his face as he’d watched them. The song ended, and Adam and Shiro let go of Lance, watching as he fell on his butt, laughing. Shiro held Adam, who was leaning into him, off balance and dizzy.

But that was half an hour ago. Keith wasn’t worried though. There was no one here that he didn’t know, no one he had to worry about. Lance had promised him nothing would happen, and Keith trusted him. It’d taken him a few months to trust him again. During that time, Lance had given him the password to his phone, allowed him to facetime him whenever he wanted, to come over whenever he wanted. He’d been willing to do anything to gain that trust back, and Keith appreciated that Lance was willing to do that. To put up with the constant questions and the sporadic visits.

The music changed to a slow song, the first one of the night, and Keith watched as a circle opened up in the middle of the room. He pushed himself off the wall, making his way into the crowd. Being the brother of one of the grooms had its perks. People moved out of his way as he got to the inner edge of the circle. He watched as Adam and Shiro danced, twirling around the space, coming close together, invading each other’s space, before pulling apart, moving around each other.

It was mesmerizing. Keith knew they were good dancers, he’d seen them dance before. But something about this dance was different. He didn’t know if it was how intimate they seemed to be, or if it was the atmosphere, but Keith couldn’t tear his gaze away from them. The song ended, their chests pressed close against each other, foreheads resting against each other. He saw Shiro’s mouth moving, saw a fond smile spreading across Adam’s face, saw as they closed the space between them in a gentle kiss.

It was quiet for a second, the music changing, as people watched them. Smiles were on everyone’s faces, and some had tears slipping down their faces. Keith felt a tear of his own falling, and he smiled to himself. He never thought he’d cry at a wedding, and yet here he was, watching his brother and the love of his life sharing a moment, one he felt he shouldn’t be seeing, and crying. He wiped his cheek, looking away from them. His eye caught a familiar blue tie, and he shifted his gaze towards it.

Lance was standing a few feet away, a goofy smile on his face, tears falling down his face. It made Keith smile, and he made his way over to him. He took Lance’s hand, feeling him jump slightly as he turned to look at him. His smile softened and he wrapped an arm around his waist. Keith leaned into his chest, his forehead resting against where his heart was. He felt Lance’s other arm wrap around his waist.

People started flooding the floor, dancing with each other. They stayed where they were, swaying slightly to the music. Keith closed his eyes, letting himself be washed in the warmth that was Lance, letting the moment take over his mind. He heard Lance whispering in his ear, but his mind was too engulfed in the moment to comprehend what he said. He just nodded, letting Lance pull him through the crowd of people, towards the patio door.

Cold air hit him as they walked outside, an involuntary shiver running through his body. He blinked, his mind clearing. The music dulled as the doors closed behind them, the quiet of the night swallowing them. He looked up at the stars, the way they shone off the lake in front of them. Adam and Shiro had really picked a beautiful place to have their wedding. Keith leaned against the railing, crossing his arms in front of him, resting them on the railing. He felt Lance hug him from behind, resting his chin on his shoulder.

Keith leaned his head to the side against Lance’s, closing his eyes. He felt Lance kiss his shoulder, and he hummed happily. “It’s gorgeous tonight, isn’t it?” Lance whispered in his ear. Keith nodded, opening his eyes and looking at Lance. He was looking at him, and he blushed a little, realizing that Lance’s comment was directed at him. He smiled embarrassedly, biting his lip. Lance chuckled and leaned forward, kissing Keith.

Keith shifted in Lance’s arms, turning around to face him, never breaking the kiss. He wrapped his arms around Lance’s neck, pulling him closer. Lance did the same, pulling Keith towards him and walking them back against the railing. Keith felt the wood against his back, his jacket snagging on it as they moved. He broke the kiss, panting slightly as he looked up at Lance.

Lance’s eyes were shining, a fond smile on his lips. Keith smiled back at him, bringing his hand to his cheek. Lance leaned against, closing his eyes. He covered his hand with his own, lacing their fingers together. “I’ve missed this. Missed us. Missed you.” His voice was soft as he spoke. “Thank you for trusting me, taking me back, loving me.”

Keith’s chest tightened a little at Lance’s words, and he brought their hands to his lips, kissing his knuckles gently. “I haven’t stopped loving you Lance. Even through everything, I never stopped. I don’t think I’d ever be able to stop loving you,” Keith whispered, looking into Lance’s eyes. He saw tears forming, and leaned forward, giving him a soft kiss. Lance smiled, a tear slipping down his cheek.

“I know this is probably bad luck, what with it being someone else’s wedding and everything, but it feels right.” Lance took a step back, his hand going to his pocket. Keith watched him confusedly. Watched as he moved, watched as he pulled a small black box out of his pocket. His eyes widened, watching as Lance got down on one knee. “I know we’ve had a lot of things happen in the past year, and it’s taken a lot to start to fix everything. But I know that if we could get through that, we can get through everything. So Keith, the moon to my stars, will you marry me?”

Keith felt tears of his own slipping down his cheek as he nodded, not trusting his voice. Lance reached forward, placing a black band with a red stripe engraved in it on his hand. He gave it a soft kiss, looking up at Keith with loving eyes. He looked back, pulling Lance to his feet. He kissed him, laughing and crying as he did. Lance held him close, kissing him back.

They stayed outside for a while longer, Keith unable to stop looking at the ring. It seemed like a dream, like any sudden movement would cause him to wake up. His mom had pulled them back in, saying it was time for the cake. He looked up at Lance, taking his hand as they walked in. Keith wanted more than anything to tell his mom that Lance had proposed, but knew he should wait, at least until everything was over.

Adam and Shiro did the cliché thing of shoving cake in each other’s faces, Shiro somehow avoiding most of it while Adam had an entire slice covering his face. There was laughter and cheering, his mom shaking her head while his dad laughed loudly. Shiro wasn’t spared from cake, as Adam took the cake off his face and rubbed it over Shiro’s. Shiro laughed, swiping his finger over his cheek, licking the cake off of it. Keith could see the blush spreading over Adam’s face, and he laughed, burying his face in Lance’s chest.

He could hear Lance laughing with him, and hadn’t noticed Shiro coming over to him until he tapped his shoulder. Keith looked up and got a face full of cake. He sputtered and took a few steps back, staring at Shiro in betrayal. Lance had turned to look at him, laughing more, and Keith noticed Adam sneaking up behind him. He tried his best to not laugh, but Lance noticed the struggle and where Keith was looking, turning around as Adam brought the cake up and smashed it in his face.

Keith and Shiro were doubled over laughing, cake dripping off their faces onto the floor, as Lance screeched, wiping at his face. Adam looked smugly at him, chuckling as he watched. Lance finally regained himself, eyeing Adam before launching himself at him. The smirk Adam had fell as he saw Lance coming towards him, and he ran behind Shiro and Keith. Lance stepped from side to side, watching Adam behind them, racing around the side. Adam out sped him, weaving his way through the crowd, Lance chasing after him.

Keith and Shiro stood up, watching as they left, laughing. Keith went to wipe the cake off his face, and Shiro grabbed his hand. “So, someone proposed tonight.” He felt his cheeks heat up, pulling his hand away from Shiro. He could see concern in his eyes, despite the smile spread over his lips. Keith bit his lip, feeling a piece of cake fall from his face.

“Yeah, while we were on the patio. I know you don’t trust him after everything that happened, but he’s earned it. And I love him. I want to marry him, to spend my life with him.” Keith felt tears forming in his eyes, his throat tightening on himself. “I wanted to wait to tell you until tomorrow, since tonight is about you and Adam. Please Shiro…” He trailed off.

Shiro pulled him into a hug, ignoring the cake smearing on his clothes. “I may not trust him, but I do the effort he’s made in fixing things. And I trust your judgement. Just know that if he hurts you again, I will go all big brother on him.” Keith chuckled a little, sinking into the hug. It’d been a while since Shiro had hugged him for anything other than his sadness, and he’d missed it.

“Don’t forget to tell mom, okay? She’ll want to know.” Keith nodded, pulling out of Shiro’s arms. The concern had faded in his eyes. He ruffled Keith’s hair, and Keith made a sound of indignation. Shiro chuckled, looking into the crowd. Keith followed his gaze, seeing Adam and Lance still chasing each other. He laughed to himself, smiling widely. The boy he loved with the boy his brother loved.

He looked down at the ring on his hand. He hadn’t counted on Lance proposing, had actually planned on proposing to him. But he smiled, knowing that Lance wanted to marry him, wanted to spend the rest of his life with him. He looked back at him, love swelling in his chest. He’d tell his mom tomorrow. Tonight, they’d celebrate Adam and Shiro. In the future, he would have his night, one like this, and the thought of sharing his future with Lance was all he needed to know that things would be okay.


End file.
